Former Indian captain Kris Srikkanth said that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) should let go of all-rounder Shivam Dube in a potential trade with the Mumbai Indians (MI) for Hardik Pandya. After the 2026 IPL season, Hardik-to-CSK trade talks have made headlines in the off-season, with Dube and Ayush Mhatre thrown into the mix as well.

Talking about Dube’s involvement in Hardik’s potential trade to CSK, Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel, Cheeky Cheeka, “It’ll be good for both Hardik and MI. Under him, they struggled with team formation and performance. Hardik Pandya will be a great inclusion for CSK because the all-rounder slot will be sealed. Shivam Dube, I would even give for free if I were CSK. I don’t even need a trade to give Dube up. If I were CSK, I would definitely put him back in the auction and get him again if needed.”

“And for Hardik Pandya, I don’t mind CSK giving up Dube and Ayush Mhatre. CSK already has a great batting lineup, so giving up these two for Hardik will make it a gun top five,” he further added.

READ HERE: “He is not here for the milestones” – Hanuma Vihari on Virat Kohli

Kris Srikkanth also urged MI to appoint former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach Chandrakant Pandit as their next head coach. MI recently parted ways with head coach Mahela Jayawardene after their poor IPL 2026 season.

“If I were MI, I would bring in Chandrakant Pandit as the coach. He’s a local boy and has played a lot for Mumbai. So he’ll be a great value addition for MI, and such a team needs a coach like Chandrakant Pandit. He’s a good thinker of the game, and he’ll not throw his weight around. He will do his job quietly and go,” he stated.

“Rohit Sharma or Suryakumar Yadav can become the captain. One of them can become the captain for sure. So Chandrakant Pandit as coach with Rohit or Surya as captain will be ideal for MI. Rohit will also bring back the cohesion in the side. He can help with the rebuild before the mega auction next year,” he concluded.